Method and apparatus for providing opportunistic intermodal routes with shared vehicles

Abstract

An approach is provided for generating a dynamic navigation route based on the availability of a shared vehicle, for example, in a geofenced area for one embodiment. The approach involves identifying a navigation route along which a shared vehicle provider operates based, at least in part, on a distance threshold, wherein the navigation route is an optimal route. The approach also involves monitoring the navigation route to detect a change in current availability of the shared vehicle. The approach further involves recomputing the navigation route to include a route segment associated with the shared vehicle based on determining that the detected change indicates that the shared vehicle has become available.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for an opportunistic use of a shared vehicle for a navigation route comprising:
 computing the navigation route along which a shared vehicle provider operates based, at least in part, on a distance threshold, wherein the navigation route is an optimal route; 
 monitoring the navigation route along a first route segment during a first transport option to detect a change in current availability of the shared vehicle, wherein the navigation route is a multimodal route in which the shared vehicle is a second transport option for at least a second route segment; and 
 recomputing the navigation route to include the second route segment associated with the shared vehicle based on determining that the detected change indicates that the shared vehicle has become available. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the navigation route comprises monitoring a geofenced area of the navigation route to detect the change in the current availability of the shared vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying the geofenced area based on determining that a use of the shared vehicle in the geofenced area can reduce an estimated time of arrival, a travel distance, or a combination thereof of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the geofenced area is precomputed before the navigation route is used. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change indicating that the shared vehicle has become available is detected based on a vehicle return event. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 initiating a reservation of the shared vehicle without intervention of a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change is detected based on non-predictive data about the current availability of the shared vehicle. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing data for presenting the recomputed navigation route in a user interface of a device associated with a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data for presenting the navigation route is provided based on determining that an estimated time of arrival of the recomputed navigation route is faster. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for an opportunistic use of a shared vehicle for a navigation route comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, 
 the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
 compute a geofenced area of the navigation route in which a shared vehicle provider operates but in which there is no current availability of a shared vehicle; 
 monitor the geofenced area along a first route segment during a first transport option to detect a change in the current availability of the shared vehicle, wherein the navigation route is a multimodal route in which the shared vehicle is a second transport option for at least a second route segment; and 
 recompute the navigation route to include the second route segment associated with the shared vehicle in the geofenced area based on determining that the detected change indicates that the shared vehicle has become available. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the change indicating that the shared vehicle has become available is detected based on a vehicle return event. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 initiate a reservation of the shared vehicle without intervention of a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 provide data for presenting the recomputed navigation route in a user interface of a device associated with a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the data for presenting the navigation route is provided based on determining that an estimated time of arrival of the recomputed navigation route is faster. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for an opportunistic use of a shared vehicle for a navigation route, carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:
 computing a geofenced area of the navigation route in which a shared vehicle provider operates but in which there is no current availability of a shared vehicle; 
 monitoring the geofenced area along a first route segment during a first transport option to detect a change in the current availability of the shared vehicle, wherein the navigation route is a multimodal route in which the shared vehicle is a second transport option for at least a second route segment; and 
 recomputing the navigation route to include the second route segment associated with the shared vehicle in the geofenced area based on determining that the detected change indicates that the shared vehicle has become available. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the change indicating that the shared vehicle has become available is detected based on a vehicle return event. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:
 initiating a reservation of the shared vehicle without intervention of a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:
 providing data for presenting the recomputed navigation route in a user interface of a device associated with a user of the navigation route. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the data for presenting the navigation route is provided based on determining that an estimated time of arrival of the recomputed navigation route is faster.